News

The death of a Klamath man at noon yesterday brings the grim total of road deaths in the county up to 25 for 2015. The driver, an 89-year-old man who has yet to be identified, was traveling northbound along the Newton B. Drury Parkway when he left the road and collided with a tree. The driver was killed and a passenger, Ralph Rode, was transported to the Rogue Regional Medical Center in Medford, Oregon, with major injuries. Drugs and alcohol were not found to be a factor, but the driver was not wearing his seatbelt.

A September cover story in the Journal revealed that Humboldt County has some of the most dangerous roads in the country, with vehicular fatalities far exceeding state and national averages. This year is on pace to be the deadliest on record for Humboldt's roads, with 32 vehicle-related fatalities, eclipsing the 31 recorded in 2009 and 2012.

Of the 25 people killed so far this year on Humboldt's roadways, nine have been pedestrians.

From the California Highway Patrol:

FATAL TRAFFIC COLLISION ON NEWTON B DRURY PARKWAY

Northern Humboldt County, California – On the early afternoon of Monday, October 12, 2015, a 1992 Nissan pickup truck was traveling on Newton B Drury Parkway northbound, at the Ah-Pah trailhead, when it drove off the roadway and collided into a tree.

At approximately 12:00 p.m., CHP officers responded to a traffic collision on Newton B. Drury Parkway, at the Ah-Pah trailhead. A 1992 Nissan pickup truck, driven by, an 89 year old man, of Klamath, for reasons to still to be determined, drove off of the roadway and collided with a tree. It was determined the driver of the Nissan was not wearing his seatbelt. As a result of this collision, the driver sustained fatal injuries. The passenger, Ralph Rode, age 80, of Klamath, sustained major injuries and was transported by Mercy air operations to Rogue Regional Medical Center in Medford, OR, for injuries he sustained from this collision. The CA State Parks closed the gates to Newton B. Parkway for approximately three hours while Officers investigated the traffic collision scene. Alcohol or drugs are not suspected to be a factor in this collision. The California Highway Patrol Humboldt Area is investigating this traffic collision. The driver's name is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.

The California Highway Patrol would like to take this unfortunate opportunity to remind motorist that regular seat belt use is the single most effective way to reduce fatalities in motor vehicle collisions.